7.1 The role of art in the Black Lives Matter movement
5 min read•august 13, 2024
The Black Lives Matter movement has harnessed art's power to amplify its message and inspire change. From murals to music, artists have created powerful visuals and performances that raise awareness about racial injustice and police brutality.
Public art, like street murals and protest songs, has played a key role in shaping public discourse around BLM. These creative expressions have helped mobilize activists, reach new audiences, and create a shared visual language for the movement.
Art as Activism for Black Lives Matter
The Role of Art in Raising Awareness
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Category:Black Lives Matter mural (Charlotte, North Carolina) - Wikimedia Commons View original
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Top images from around the web for The Role of Art in Raising Awareness
Category:Black Lives Matter mural (Charlotte, North Carolina) - Wikimedia Commons View original
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Black Lives Matter: The Emotional and Racial Dynamics of the George Floyd Protest Graffiti View original
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Race, Ethnicity, and Discrimination | Introduction to Sociology View original
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Category:Black Lives Matter mural (Charlotte, North Carolina) - Wikimedia Commons View original
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Black Lives Matter: The Emotional and Racial Dynamics of the George Floyd Protest Graffiti View original
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The Black Lives Matter movement, founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, is a decentralized social movement that campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people
Art has played a significant role in the Black Lives Matter movement by creating powerful visual imagery, slogans, and symbols that communicate the movement's message and demands for racial justice
Artists have used various mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, and digital art, to depict the faces and stories of victims of police brutality, such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Michael Brown, humanizing them and highlighting the injustice of their deaths
Street art, such as murals and graffiti, has been used to create public displays of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to reclaim public spaces as sites of protest and resistance
Performance and Music as Activism
Music artists have released songs that address police brutality, systemic racism, and the Black Lives Matter movement, using their lyrics to raise awareness, express frustration and anger, and call for change
, such as dance and theater, has been used to embody the experiences of black people and to create visceral, emotional responses in audiences that raise awareness about racial injustice
Hip hop and rap music have long been used as a form of social and political commentary, with artists using their platform to speak out against police brutality and systemic racism (Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole)
Musicians have used their performances and public appearances to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement (Beyoncé's 2016 Super Bowl halftime show featuring backup dancers dressed as Black Panthers)
Visual Arts and Public Discourse
The Power of Visual Imagery
Visual art, music, and performance have played a significant role in shaping public discourse around the Black Lives Matter movement by creating a cultural narrative that challenges dominant representations of black people and racial injustice
Powerful visual imagery, such as photographs of protests and police brutality, has been widely circulated on social media and in the news, sparking public outrage and calls for change
Political art, such as posters and graphics, has been used to create a visual language for the movement, with slogans like "Black Lives Matter," "I Can't Breathe," and "No Justice, No Peace" becoming rallying cries for protesters
Visual art has the ability to reach a wide and diverse audience, including people who may not otherwise engage with the Black Lives Matter movement or social justice issues, by inserting political messages into everyday spaces and routines
The Impact on Public Discourse
The impact of visual art, music, and performance on shaping public discourse around the Black Lives Matter movement can be seen in the increased visibility of the movement, the mobilization of activists and allies, and the shift in public opinion towards recognizing systemic racism as a pressing social issue
Music has been used to create anthems for the movement, with songs like Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" and Beyoncé's "Formation" becoming unofficial protest songs that inspire and mobilize activists
Performance art has been used to create public spectacles that disrupt business as usual and force people to confront the reality of racial injustice, such as the "die-ins" staged by Black Lives Matter activists in public spaces
The creation of public art can also serve as a form of community building and collective action, bringing people together to collaborate on projects that express shared values and experiences
Artists as Advocates for Racial Justice
Using Platforms for Advocacy
Artists across various disciplines have used their platforms to advocate for racial justice and support the Black Lives Matter movement, leveraging their visibility and influence to raise awareness and mobilize fans and followers
Visual artists have created works that directly address police brutality and systemic racism, such as Dread Scott's "A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday" flag and Mark Bradford's "Pickett's Charge" installation
Celebrity artists have used their social media platforms to amplify the voices of Black Lives Matter activists, share resources and information, and encourage their followers to take action, such as by attending protests, donating to bail funds, or contacting elected officials
Collaborations and Financial Support
Artists have collaborated with Black Lives Matter activists and organizations to create public art projects and events that raise awareness about racial injustice, such as the "Say Their Names" memorial project, which features portraits of victims of police brutality
Some artists have also used their financial resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement (The Weeknd donated 500,000toracialjusticeorganizations,BTSdonated1 million to Black Lives Matter)
Musicians have used their performances and appearances to show solidarity and advocate for change (Kendrick Lamar's 2016 Grammy Awards performance included a reenactment of a prison chain gang)
Collaborations between artists and activists help to amplify the message of the Black Lives Matter movement and reach new audiences
Public Art and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Murals and Street Art as Expressions of Solidarity
Public art, such as murals and street art, has played a significant role in the Black Lives Matter movement by creating visible and accessible expressions of solidarity, protest, and demands for racial justice in public spaces
Murals depicting the faces and names of victims of police brutality have been painted in cities across the United States, serving as powerful memorials that honor their lives and humanize their stories
Street art, such as graffiti and wheat-pasted posters, has been used to create guerrilla-style interventions in public spaces, often featuring political slogans, calls to action, and images of protest and resistance
During the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd, street artists created impromptu murals on boarded-up storefronts and buildings, transforming them into canvases for political expression
Reclaiming Public Spaces
The ephemerality and illegality of some forms of street art, such as graffiti, can also be seen as a form of resistance against the very systems of power and oppression that the Black Lives Matter movement seeks to dismantle
Public art has also been used to reclaim and redefine public spaces as sites of protest, mourning, and remembrance, such as the creation of the "Black Lives Matter" mural on 16th Street in Washington D.C., near the White House, during the 2020 protests
The creation of public art can serve as a form of community building and collective action, bringing people together to collaborate on projects that express shared values and experiences
Reclaiming public spaces through art allows the Black Lives Matter movement to assert its presence and demands in the face of systemic oppression and erasure